India's quest for self-reliance in fighter jet engine technology took centre stage at THE WEEK Defence Conclave 2025, where distinguished experts analysed the journey of the Kaveri engine program and outlined crucial next steps for the nation's aerospace capabilities. The panel discussion, titled "The challenges of the fighter engine: 

Where do we go after Kaveri?", brought together leading minds from defence research, industry, and the military to examine the obstacles faced by India's indigenous engine development program and propose strategic pathways forward.

Their consensus highlighted that while significant challenges remain, India possesses both the industrial foundation and technical talent to achieve success in this critical domain, provided the right framework of collaboration, funding, and organisational stability is established. The experts emphasised that indigenous development represents the only viable path forward, as foreign technology transfer remains unlikely in this strategically sensitive area.

The Kaveri Engine Journey: Achievements And Limitations

From left) Air Marshal Ajay Kumar Arora (Retd), former Air OIC Maintenance (M), Dr S.V. Ramanamurthy, Director, Gas Turbine Research Estb (GTRE), Anshuman Tripathi, ex-adviser, National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), V Venkat Raju, MD, VEM Technologies, Hyderabad and Air Vice Marshal Suresh Singh (Retd) during the panel discussion at THE WEEK Defence Conclave 2025, in New Delhi 

The Kaveri engine program, spearheaded by the Defence Research and Development Organisation's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), represents India's ambitious effort to develop a home-grown power plant for its fighter aircraft fleet. As Dr. S.V. Ramanamurthy, Director of GTRE, outlined during the panel, the program has achieved significant milestones despite numerous obstacles.

The development journey has been lengthy and complex, primarily due to challenges involving specialised materials, dependency on exports, and limited testing infrastructure. Despite these impediments, the program successfully constructed nine full prototype engines and four core engines, accumulating an impressive 3,217 hours of engine testing data.

However, the panel acknowledged a fundamental limitation that has prevented the Kaveri's operational deployment. The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) TEJAS, India's indigenous fighter, received its flight operational clearance with performance requirements that demanded greater thrust than the Kaveri engine could provide in its current configuration. This mismatch means that the Kaveri, in its present architecture, cannot be integrated with the TEJAS without significant modifications. The technical gap underscores the challenges India has faced in aligning its indigenous engine development timeline with the evolving requirements of its aircraft programs.

Expert Analysis: Why Fighter Engine Development Proves Challenging

The distinguished panel, which included Anshuman Tripathi, former adviser to the National Security Advisory Board, V. Venkat Raju, Managing Director of VEM Technologies, and Air Vice Marshal Suresh Singh (Retd), provided deep insights into why fighter jet engine development remains one of the most challenging technological endeavours. They emphasised that this domain requires not only enormous investment and extended development timelines but also specialised knowledge that few countries have mastered. The moderator, Air Marshal Ajay Kumar Arora (Retd), former Air OIC Maintenance, guided the discussion through the technical and strategic dimensions of this challenge.

The experts highlighted that fighter engines operate at extreme performance parameters that push the boundaries of materials science, thermodynamics, and precision manufacturing. The development of single-crystal superalloys, advanced cooling systems, and high-temperature coatings represents just a fraction of the specialised technologies required. Additionally, the testing infrastructure needed to validate engine performance under simulated combat conditions is both expensive and complex. These factors explain why only a handful of nations—primarily the United States, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom—have traditionally dominated this field, with China more recently joining their ranks through sustained investment over decades.

Lessons Learned From The Kaveri Program

The panel conducted a frank assessment of the lessons that should inform India's future engine development strategy. They identified several critical factors that contributed to the Kaveri program's challenges, including fragmented organisational structures, shifting requirements, and inadequate industrial ecosystem support during the program's early phases.

The experts noted that while the program began with appropriate ambition, it suffered from periodic funding inconsistencies and changing priorities that hampered steady progress. Additionally, the technologies required for advanced fighter engines evolved significantly during the lengthy development timeline, creating moving targets for the design teams.

Despite these challenges, the panellists emphasised that the Kaveri program has generated valuable intellectual property, trained a generation of Indian engineers in engine technologies, and created testing infrastructure that will benefit future programs.

They stressed that rather than viewing the program solely through the lens of its current limitations, it should be recognised as an essential foundation upon which India can build its future engine development capabilities. The technical knowledge and human capital developed through the Kaveri program represent assets that cannot be easily quantified but are vital for India's aerospace future.

The Path Forward: Strategic Recommendations

The panel unanimously agreed that India must pursue indigenous engine development rather than hoping for technology transfer from foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). They emphasised that fighter engine technology represents the crown jewels of aerospace capability that advanced nations rarely share, even with close allies. Similarly, the experts expressed scepticism about co-design and co-development approaches with foreign partners in this domain, noting that such arrangements typically result in limited technology transfer of critical components and subsystems.

Instead, the panellists advocated for a consortium-based approach with stable government funding as the most promising path forward. This model would bring together academia, research institutions, and industry partners under a cohesive framework with clear leadership and accountability structures. They emphasised that the lead partner should remain consistent throughout the program lifecycle to ensure stability and continuity of vision. The experts pointed to successful aerospace development programs globally that have benefited from such organisational consistency, contrasting them with initiatives that suffered from changing leadership and shifting priorities.

India's Evolving Industrial Capability

A particularly encouraging aspect highlighted by the panel was India's significantly improved industrial capability compared to when the Kaveri program was initiated. V Venkat Raju of VEM Technologies noted that India's aerospace manufacturing ecosystem has matured considerably, with numerous private sector companies now possessing advanced manufacturing capabilities relevant to engine components. The panellists expressed confidence that with the right coordination and investment, India is now capable of building sophisticated aerospace systems, including fighter engines.

The experts pointed to recent successes in India's space program, missile development, and electronics sectors as evidence of the nation's growing technological sophistication. They emphasised that these capabilities, combined with appropriate investment in specialised areas like single-crystal blade manufacturing, advanced composites, and high-temperature materials, could create the foundation for successful engine development. The panel noted that several Indian companies have already demonstrated capabilities in manufacturing precision components for international aerospace OEMs, indicating readiness to take on more ambitious indigenous programs.

The Human Factor: Talent Development And Retention

Perhaps the most critical factor identified by the panel was the need for attracting and retaining specialised talent. The experts unanimously agreed that India possesses no shortage of bright engineering minds, but emphasised that the country needs more focused aerospace specialisation in its educational institutions and better incentives to keep top talent in the defence sector. They recommended stronger industry-academia partnerships that would expose students to real-world aerospace challenges earlier in their educational journey.

The panellists also highlighted the importance of creating stable, long-term career paths for engine specialists, noting that the development of a successful fighter engine typically spans decades rather than years. They suggested that India should consider specialised retention programs for key technical talent, potentially including international exposure and collaborative research opportunities with global institutions. Additionally, the experts recommended reaching out to Indian aerospace specialists working abroad, creating pathways for them to contribute their expertise to indigenous programs either through repatriation or collaborative arrangements.

Conclusion: A Realistic Path To Success

The panel discussion at THE WEEK Defence Conclave concluded with a realistic but optimistic assessment of India's fighter engine development prospects. The experts acknowledged that developing an indigenous fighter engine remains a formidable challenge that will require sustained commitment, appropriate funding, and organisational patience. However, they expressed confidence that with the right framework—combining the lessons learned from the Kaveri program, India's improved industrial capabilities, and strategic talent development—success is achievable.

The panellists emphasised that fighter engine technology represents a critical strategic capability that directly impacts India's defence self-reliance and operational readiness. They noted that dependence on foreign engines creates vulnerabilities that extend beyond supply chain concerns to include potential operational restrictions during critical scenarios. The experts concluded that while the path forward will require significant investment and resolve, the strategic imperative for India to develop indigenous fighter engine capability remains clear and compelling, making it a necessary journey despite the challenges ahead.

Based on A "The Week" Report